Models Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid
NHTSA is reviewing a defect petition that says road debris can pass through the front grille of the 2024-2026 Toyota Grand Highlander and puncture the heat exchangers behind it, causing coolant leaks that the petition links to a loss of propulsion. NHTSA’s opening resume lists the Grand Highlander Hybrid and estimates 87,000 vehicles. There is no recall, and NHTSA has not decided whether to open an investigation. Owners can check their VIN for any open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and can report debris damage to NHTSA as a vehicle safety complaint.
What the petition says
The petition is dated July 20, 2026, and asks NHTSA to investigate rocks and road debris damaging the vehicle’s heat exchangers. In NHTSA’s summary, the petition contends that the Grand Highlander’s front-end grille has “large, open apertures and no protective screen between the grill and the vehicle’s heat exchangers.” NHTSA’s opening resume describes the problem this way: the grille design lets rocks and debris through to strike and puncture the hybrid inverter radiator, the A/C condenser or the radiator, and the resulting coolant or refrigerant leak can cause a loss of propulsion. The agency files the issue under engine and engine cooling.
NHTSA’s summary of the petition, the vehicle list on its record and the petitioner’s supplement cover both the 2024-2026 Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid. Only the product line of the opening resume names the Grand Highlander Hybrid alone, and its 87,000 population figure is an estimate.
Complaints so far
NHTSA opened the petition review on August 20, 2026, with 14 complaints under consideration: 13 that the petitioner cited from NHTSA’s files, plus the petitioner’s own. The agency’s failure report summary shows no crashes, fires, injuries or deaths among them. These are owner reports that NHTSA has not verified, and a count of complaints is not a failure rate. ODI says it will evaluate each one to determine whether it matches the failure the petition describes.
A supplement dated August 28, 2026, has since been added to the petition file. In it, the petitioner lists 10 more complaints filed between August 22 and August 26, 2026, on 2024, 2025 and 2026 models, describing damage to A/C condensers, radiators, a hybrid inverter cooler and other heat exchangers. Three of those, the petitioner says, describe a loss of propulsion at highway speed; one owner wrote that the vehicle “slowed from 55MPH to 25MPH rather abruptly on highway.” The supplement also says repairs have been denied warranty coverage as road-hazard damage. It asks NHTSA to obtain the manufacturer’s warranty-claim, goodwill, field-failure and warranty-denial records for this kind of damage. These are the petitioner’s statements, and the record holds no NHTSA response to them.
What happens next
NHTSA opened DP26-006 to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition, through a technical review under 49 CFR Part 552. The petition asks for a defect investigation. NHTSA has not decided whether to open one, and the record shows no closing date.
No recall is linked to the petition in NHTSA’s record. According to the supplement, owners have received no recall notice and no communication from the manufacturer about the issue.
The petition itself can be read on NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11754975. NHTSA has also published the reference numbers of the 14 complaints it counted when it opened the review.
What to do
- Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for any open recalls. NHTSA's DP26-006 record lists no recall for this issue.
- If road debris has damaged the radiator, hybrid inverter radiator or A/C condenser, file a vehicle safety complaint with NHTSA. The petition review is evaluating owner complaints.
- Follow the DP26-006 record for NHTSA's decision to grant or deny the petition.